SDP Chief Chee Soon Juan receives POFMA order for comments on HDB policies
MND Minister Desmond Lee has directed the POFMA Office on Thursday to issue a correction directive to SDP Chief Chee Soon Juan concerning his social media statements on HDB’s public housing policies.
SINGAPORE: Minister for National Development Desmond Lee has directed the Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue a correction directive to Dr Chee Soon Juan, the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), concerning his social media statements on public housing policies.
According to a statement released on the government fact-checking website Factually on Thursday (22 February), Dr Chee was accused of asserting in a video posted on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok on 17 February that the Government had rejected the idea of constructing flats suitable for multi-generational living.
The statement refuted Dr Chee's claim, highlighting that HDB builds and offers 5-room and 3Gen flats to address the housing needs of larger families and multi-generation families wishing to live together.
"In particular, 3Gen flats, which are generally larger (at about 115 sqm) with 1 extra bedroom compared to the typical 5-room BTO flat, have been introduced since 2013 to allow multi-generation families to live together."
The statement added that 5-room flats were offered in all Build-To-Order (“BTO”) launches last year, and 3Gen flats were offered in two of the four launches.
The Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a statement on Thursday that Dr Chee must display correction notices on his Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Additionally, he is required to create a new TikTok post containing a correction notice.
These notices will assert that the video posted on 17 Feb contains a false statement of fact and provide a link to the Government’s clarification. This allows viewers to assess both versions and draw their conclusions.
Mr Lee also issued a targeted correction direction to TikTok concerning these posts.
TikTok is mandated to communicate a correction notice to all end-users in Singapore who accessed the TikTok post.
The Factually reported that Dr Chee referenced an HDB reply to a forum letter published in The Straits Times from a member of the public to support his claim.
Contrary to Dr Chee’s assertion, the Factually clarified that the Government did not reject the suggestion from the forum letter writer for larger flats catering to multi-generational living.
“In planning the supply of new BTO flats, HDB adopts a comprehensive approach, considering factors such as the prevailing economic and housing market conditions, and long-term demographic and socio-economic trends,” the statement wrote.
It added that HDB offers various flat types in different locations to meet demand, including from larger families and multi-generational families.
The agency also adjusts BTO supply and flat types to accommodate the housing needs and budgets of households in Singapore.
